U.S. Womens National Under-18 Team Downs Sweden, 9-2

FUSSEN, Germany – Kendall Coyne (Palos Heights, Ill.) scored four times to lead the U.S. Women's National Under-18 Team to a 9-2 victory over Sweden in its third and final preliminary-round game at the 2009 International Ice Hockey Federation World Women's U18 Championship here tonight at Fussen Rink II. Amanda Kessel (Madison, Wis.) tallied five assists in the winning effort and Alex Rigsby (Delafield, Wis.) made 31 saves in net.

With the victory, Team USA finished the preliminary round with a 3-0-0-0 record (W-OTW-OTL-L) and will face the Czech Republic in the semifinals on Friday (Jan. 9) at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. EST).

"We're extremely happy with the outcome of tonight's game," said Team USA Head Coach Mark Johnson, who is also the head women's ice hockey coach at the University of Wisconsin. "Sweden has a very strong team and I certainly give our players credit for coming out with energy. It was a very good way to finish the prelims - now we have a day to recoup and get ready for the next round."

The United States skated to a 3-0 advantage in the first frame with the opening goal scored by Madison Packer (Birmingham, Mich.). Packer came from behind the goal line to the left of the Sweden net during a U.S. power play and snuck a wrister behind goalie Josephin Lennstrom at 4:38. The 1-0 score lasted until 14:22 when Kessel flipped a pass to Coyne, who skated into the Swedish zone and battled through a pair of players to beat Lennstrom. Just :23 later, Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.) spun around in the slot and put the puck between Lennstrom's legs for a 3-0 score.

The teams traded power-play goals in the early part of the second period to bring the score to 4-1. First, Blake Bolden (Stow, Ohio) fed Decker for a one-timer from the right faceoff circle that hit the top corner on the near side at 1:48. Sweden used a 5-on-3 advantage at 4:31 to get past Rigsby with a rebound tally from Erika Grahm.

With 2:05 left in the stanza and down a player, Alev Kelter (Eagle River, Alaska) battled the puck away from a Swedish player, skated into the offensive zone and passed to Kessel in the right faceoff circle. Kessel then sent a cross-crease pass back to Kelter, who put it in from the left post to give Team USA back the four-goal lead.

The last period included four more U.S. goals and a late tally by the Swedes. Coyne started it off when she got the puck off a faceoff in Sweden's zone, skated across the slot and flipped a wrister that went off the crossbar and in the net at 3:17. Coyne followed it up with goal No. 3 at 10:13 on the power play for a 7-1 score.

Bolden put a slap shot in from the top of the slot during a 4-on-3 power play at 12:34 and Coyne capped off U.S. scoring with a shorthanded goal at 17:35. Sweden put a low shot past Rigsby at 19:07 for the 9-2 final score.

NOTES: Kendall Coyne was named U.S. Player of the Game ... Team USA held the 34-33 edge in shots ... The United States was 4-for-13 on the power play, while holding Sweden 1-for-12 ... Amanda Kessel leads the tournament with 14 points (4-10) in three games ... Joining Mark Johnson on the coaching staff as assistant coaches are Katie King, head women’s ice hockey coach at Boston College, and Jeff Giesen, head women’s ice hockey coach at St. Cloud State University.

GAME SUMMARY

Scoring By Period

First Period - Scoring: 1, USA, Packer (Ammerman), 4:38 (pp); 2, USA, Coyne (Kessel), 14:22 (4x4); 3, USA, Decker (unassisted), 14:45. Penalties: SWE, Ostberg (slashing), 3:14; USA, Young (hooking), 4:50; SWE, Nordin (cross-checking), 5:06; USA, Packer (slashing), 14:00; USA, Young (tripping), 15:52; SWE, Team (too many players), 17:35.

Second Period - Scoring: 4, USA, Decker (Bolden, Young), 1:48 (pp); 5, SWE, Grahm (Enstrom), 4:31 (5x3pp); 6, USA, Kelter (Kessel), 17:55 (sh). Penalties: SWE, Siggelin Alstermark (tripping), 1:29; USA, Kenyon (tripping), 3:00; USA, Packer (roughing), 3:21; SWE, Jordansson (hooking); USA, Packer (slashing), 11:59; SWE, Nordin (high-sticking), 12:48; SWE, Myren (misconduct), 13:52; SWE, Bergius (body checking), 13:52; USA, Kelter (boarding), 14:11; USA, Team (delay of game), 16:39; USA, Campbell (tripping), 19:23.

Third Period - Scoring: 7, USA, Coyne (Kessel), 3:17; 8, USA, Coyne (Kessel, Bozek), 10:13 (pp); 9, USA, Bolden (Pelkey), 12:34 (4x3pp); 10, USA, Coyne (Kessel), 17:35 (sh); 11, SWE, Svendin (Enstrom), 19:07 (4x4), 19:07. Penalties: SWE, Olsson (slashing), 1:07; USA, Decker (tripping), 4:43; USA, Kelter (tripping), 6:09; SWE, Myren (slashing), 9:31; SWE, Nordin (holding), 10:28; USA, Brock (tripping), 11:20; SWE, Svedin (body checking), 11:59; SWE, Bergius (body checking), 12:22; USA, Wasylk (major - body checking), 15:00; USA, Wasylk (game misconduct), 15:00; SWE, Team (delay of game), 18:07.